Belle's Promise
by Scribbles-by-Kate
Summary: A missing scene from 5.1 "The Dark Swan". Realising that the group will leave town as soon as Regina has what she needs to make the wand work, Belle returns to have a private moment with Rumplestiltskin before they go.


Even though we didn't see this scene in the episode, I'm going with it happening :)

 _Once Upon a Time_ is, of course, the property of Adam, Eddy, and ABC.

 **Belle's Promise**

They needed something of Emma's to make the wand work. So Zelena had told Regina anyway, and Belle did not want to think right now about the fact that Zelena was back. She had other things to concern herself with.

When Regina made the wand work, they would leave to find Emma. Belle had not expected to be leaving town today. She didn't want to leave Rumple, but she didn't know how to heal him, and maybe Merlin would. From what Emma had said, he seemed to be the expert on the Darkness. If he could defeat it, he might also be able to revive someone whose heart had been purged of it.

One thing was clear to her: she would not save Rumple by staying here, sitting by his bedside, waiting for him to… No, she couldn't even think the word. Mother Superior had given her the rose so that she could try to help Emma and feel easier about his condition, but she knew that helping Emma, and then finding Merlin, was also the way to help Rumple. It was a terrible thing that both of them were going through. If she could help them, she must go.

She needed to see Rumple first, though. After learning about what they needed to make the wand work, Belle hurried back to the pawn shop and found Mother Superior still there.

'Belle?' she questioned.

'I need a few moments with him,' Belle said, without preamble. 'Regina knows how to make the wand work, so we'll be leaving to find Emma soon. I need…'

'Certainly, Belle,' Blue said understandingly. Belle was well aware that Rumple didn't like the fairy, but she'd been helpful to her today, and Belle was grateful for that.

Blue left quietly and Belle retook her seat at Rumple's side, putting a hand on his heart again and the other to his cheek.

'Rumple, I…I'm going to go with the others, to find Emma' she said softly, her thumb caressing his cheek. 'When we find her, we can find Merlin, and he'll be able to help both of you. I hope you can understand why I have to go. I can't sit here and do nothing for you. I don't think me holding your hand will be enough to save you, though I wish it could be.' She sniffled, blinking away tears.

'You called me a hero once,' she went on, her voice raspy, 'and I want to be that for you. I want to save you, Rumple, and maybe then…we can fix this and start again. I don't know how to save you now, and I won't find the answer by staying here. I don't want to go, but I can't take the chance of losing you if I stay and just do nothing.'

She shuffled a little closer on her stool.

'I don't know if you can hear me, but I want you to know that I still love you: I don't want to lose you. I'll come back: I promise, and I will save you. Please wait for me: please don't give up now. You fought for so long against the Darkness, I know, but I'm asking you to hold on a little longer.'

She took his hand in both of hers and kissed it. She could hardly speak through her tears now, but the need and desire to save him was giving her strength that she knew she would need for whatever lay ahead.

'I love you: I always have, and I always will,' she told him fervently. 'I'll keep the rose close to me, and I'll be thinking about you every single moment. I gave up on you once and I felt sick about it all the time we were apart. I won't do that again: I won't stop fighting for you, for us, not again. Please don't stop fighting either.

'I'll come back, and then we can fix everything so that we never have to go through that pain again.'

She leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead.

'I will see you again,' she said, with all the conviction she'd felt the first time she said those words to him. She was not going to say goodbye: she wanted to leave him with the promise that had come true for them before, in spite of the odds stacked against them. She felt sure it would come true this time too.

She stroked his hair back off his face again and caressed his cheek once more. Then she stood and looked down at him for a moment, before finally making herself turn and walk out to the front of the shop.

Blue wasn't there, but when Belle walked out the front door, she saw her there, waiting for her.

Belle stood a moment, looking back into the shop, and then she closed the door and locked it.

'We can keep watch over him, if you'd like,' Mother Superior suggested. 'I know he and we fairies had our differences, but we'd be glad to do this as a favour to you.'

'That's kind of you,' Belle said. 'If you could just look in, I'd be grateful. I don't know how long we'll be gone…'

'Once you find Emma, you can find Merlin, and when he saves Emma, he'll have the power to return you home. In the meantime, the rose will show you how he's faring. Don't despair, Belle: all will be well.'

'I hope so,' Belle said, looking worriedly through the window of the shop.

'Have faith,' Blue entreated.

Belle nodded and gathered her reserves of courage, strength, and faith. She would need all three if she was to save the man she loved, and she would save him: she would.

 **The end**

 **There you go: short and sweet, but I thought there was room for a deleted scene in there :)**


End file.
